deevo

Hi everyone, newbie here. I joined mainly to poke your minds about emigrating permanently to the ph. I don't want to go too deeply into it but I've had alot of trouble with banks and their heartless nature concerning personal and family problems that occur.
So I've reached the point where I wish to emigrate and become a ph citizen through marriage to a fillipina.
But I want to know if it's viable or possible to leave a fairly large amount of debt here. Between 25-35k. I have no need to return to England and I have no major possessions or house or car or anything. What obstacles would I face in doing that and would I be safe in the ph? I really want to start again in a new country with a financial boost.

mikemike

deevo

to gain citizenship you need to be here a minimum of 5 years and learn one of the main dialects which will be tested.

How are you going to support the both of you?

You will be on a tourist visa

You are getting married to escape debt?

Have you really thought this through or just reacting to circumstances?

deevo

My fiancé works over there full time, I was going over the idea of getting a little extra credit card and going over there with a small financial boost for emergencies. With the intention of never going back England. I visited once already for around a month. And my fiancé and me would marry over there. I'm wondering about whether it's possible to emigrate with outstanding debt. But avoid paying it back if I never return. If that clears it up a little more.

mikek1

Deevo,

You don’t state your age, are you in receipt of a good pension? If the answer is no then 100% do not come to the Philippines to avoid your debts.I would not advice anyone to settle here without substantial funds or a quality high paying pension.
You are better off poor in the U.K. than poor in the Philippines.Take time to read all the threads on this site, and others and you will get a much needed insight to the practicality of living here.

mikemike

If you have no UK assets you can declare bankruptcy, that clears the slate.

Seems to me that you want to live off your partners earnings, which may be barely enough to support them.

The Philippines is NOT an escape route, there are no safety nets here like the NHS, Dole money etc etc etc

quiltman

Agree entirely with Mike. Declare bankruptcy to clear the debts. On a tourist visa you CANNOT work here and if caught will be deported. Unless your GF, wife to be, is earning at least 40/50k pesos a month you'll really struggle.(even that's not a lot!) you have to renew your visa regularly and after 3 years need to leave the Philippines for 24 hours and on return , another 3 years starts again. Unless you're retired with a secure pension income, the Philippines sure isn't paradise!

uk_grenada

NB any sizeable debt will be chased globally. Moving doesnt help you, it just introduces more delay, the debt grows at time and the collection agencies add their charges, then what happens to collect it depends on where you are actually residing. You can be extradited for fiscal crime from many countries, debt is a civil matter so long as you dont owe the government [if you do, forget it, they can get you most places and will extradite you.]

Sort it out before you leave...

When they find you, a collection agency will either sell the debt to a local agency or subcontract one to chase you, I can only imagine what debt collection agencies are allowed to do in the phillipines but im guessing its a lot worse than in the uk.

Gazza-d

If you did need to return sometime in the future you would probably be arrested at immigration immediately after you land. Also I wonder if you would have trouble renewing your passport which would need to be current whilst you remain in the Philippines.

deevo

So okay no try clearing all debt.
I'm planning on going over there and getting married as soon as we can really. And then I would see about working and possibly studying.
I'm wondering if I can get a gist of what I would need to satisfy officials over here for the marriage requirements for example what documents or paperwork I should aquire.
I'd like to move over there and have everything I need to not worry. My fiancé is a customs broker so she's set up fairly well over there as well as family to help.

Gazza-d

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...he-philippines

quiltman

Gazza has sent you a useful link re marriage here. Once you are married, your wife can apply for a 13A visa for you and after 12 months apply to have it made into a 13 permanent visa. Here's a link to the rules re working on a 13A/13 visa https://thisisphilippines.wordpress....right-to-work/

Get all the required documents first then apply for a marriage certificate , get married , your wife applies for your 13A then you can look for work.

mikemike

Not all debts can be chased internationally, indeed it looks like there are a few that an be, they are the few not the many.

You will not be arrested on return to the UK . You may be issued a summons but not an arrest warrant on arrival. This is a civil, not a criminal issue even if there are CCjs issued.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/ex...ink-again.html

mikelincs

We had no debts when we moved to Spain, however we did return some 5 years later and about two years after that got a demand for unpaid water rates, fortunately the bill was for a period after we had sold the house, and moved out of the UK and we were able to prove the facts, but they had traced us despite three house moves in the UK after returning, so they do have ways of tracing you.

uk_grenada

The op hasn’t divulged who he owes, if you owe money to HMG or it’s agencies you can be arrested and international arrest warrants are allowed (governments globally prefer to be paid.)

uk_grenada

A relative owes around a million in CGT to HMRC, he ran to a country which will not extradite for fiscal crime, so he has received diminishing and increasingly less aggressive letters for the last 10 years (they are down to ‘pay us 100k and we’ll write it off and allow you your etc’ but he’s happy, and has no intention of returning and his children paying IHT on his death.